Wednesday, August 31, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 (Bernama) -–
Browsers of the Google website today found a very special Merdeka Day
present from Google Malaysia which has come up with its very own
decorative logo or doodle to commemorate the unique double celebration
-– Aidilfitri and Malaysia's National Day.
Visitors to google.com.my today will see the Google logo decorated with a "ketupat" and a Malaysian flag to reflect "Merdeka Raya."
"We are delighted to add a special Malaysian design to our doodle
list, especially since it is a rare double celebration this year.
"While Google is a global brand, we want to be as local as we can in
our own Googley way. We wish all Malaysians a Selamat Hari Raya and
Merdeka Day " said Sajith Sivanandan, the country head of Google
Malaysia in a statement.
Google doodles have delighted users over the years and have proven to be an endearing part of the whole Google experience.
Many Malaysians, obviously delighted to see the "Merdeka Raya" doodle, flooded the social media site with their commendation.
While some regarded it as "cute," others were more expressive, like
the following remark: "Google's logo today is on Malaysia's independence
and Hari Raya. Awesomesauce!!!"
One tweeted that "this Merdeka Raya concept from Google is very
simple, yet attractive ... at least for me" while another said, "Memang
ada style lah." (It's stylish.)
Google has celebrated and marked everything from Alfred Hitchcock's
birthday to leap years, where a team of designers are employed to come
up with these doodles.
Said one tweet: "Happy Merdeka, folks! Nice of Google to do this."

Certainly, nice of Google to do a 'twin' doodle but mouse over "ketupat" or Malaysian flag, why no mention of Raya? If you click on either one, you'll get the About 2,700,000 results for 'Malaysian Independence Day'.

KUALA
LUMPUR, Aug 25 — Government scientist Dr Seah Lay Hong would have lost
her job if she worked in Australia, a foreign DNA expert told Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial today.
Consultant molecular geneticist Dr Brian McDonald told the High Court
that Dr Seah’s casual attitude in learning that two containers holding
DNA samples that were likely mislabelled and doing nothing about it was a
“sackable offence”.
Dr Seah is the government’s DNA expert who had allegedly told the
court to give the benefit of the doubt when questions were raised over
the dates on two containers holding DNA samples sent to her for
analysis.
Both containers bore labels that were dated June 26, 2008.
Anwar is charged with sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan in a Damansara Heights condominium on the same date.
The court has been told the complainant was swabbed for test samples
of his DNA only after seeing doctors two days later, on June 28, 2008.
Dr McDonald, who was briefed of the history of the case, said such a
labelling meant one of two things, either the samples were indeed taken
on June 28, 2008; or the samples were labelled wrongly.
“This is a sackable offence,” he testified.
“You could kill someone. If you change something on a medical result, you could kill someone,” he said.
Dr McDonald explained that the proper thing to do would be to verify
with the source if there has been a mistake and move quickly to correct
it and have those steps recorded.
The Australian scientist, who is a witness for Anwar’s defence, was replying to questions from lawyer Ramkarpal Singh Deo.
“If it’s a mistake, you have to correct it and document it. You have
to do something. It’s not an option that is open to the recipient,” he
stressed.
The court was told there was no record of any such correction made.
Dr McDonald also appeared surprised by the high sperm count recorded
during the laboratory analysis of the swab samples collected from the
complainant.
He explained to the court that such density is normal only if recorded within the first six to eight hours after ejaculation.
He said he had expected to see a very low sperm count, if any,
because the samples were collected close to 100 hours after and stored
in less than optimal conditions.
The defence had highlighted the samples swabbed from Saiful’s anus
were also stored in an airtight receptacle and kept in a locker at room
temperature, which Dr McDonald said went against fundamental laboratory
practices.
He said the samples should have been smeared onto a glass slide,
air-dried and immediately frozen at -20 degrees Centrigrade, to stop the
growth of bacteria from destroying the sperm cells.
Ramkarpal then asked if it was “reasonable to infer that the samples
collected from the complainant were not the same as the samples analysed
by Dr Seah?”
“The bells would be ringing to me as a scientist. I would be alerted
to the results that are inconsistent with the history [of this case],”
Dr McDonald replied.
The trial will resume tomorrow with the Australian back in the witness box.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Semua Barang Naik. So, maybe Ravi's has no choice but to make harga naik. Yes, thanks to BN=Barang Naik!

Frankly, an increase by 20 sen is still acceptable but 30 sen? I'm not sure when the price increase took effect. My best guess is a month to two months ago. The last time I had it was in mid-June. Yes, the price hike means that from today onward, I will most probably have my Aloo Paratha once in every three months.

I blogged about Aloo Paratha for the first time in February this year. Despite the increase in price, I still recommend that you try out this special capathi if you haven't already done so. ;)

{youtube}wOFXYyxTCWM{/youtube} Or watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOFXYyxTCWMBy steadyaku47
I
saw this video on MIMPI SENJA blog site. Anger, shame and an
overwhelming sense of betrayal overcame me as I see this BABI (or
Policeman if you want to be polite and give him his due) bring shame to
me as a Malay, embarrassment to me as Malaysian by asking for bribes
from a Singaporean and most of all a confirmation that corruption and
SAYA NAK RASUAH is alive and well in the BABI community...or as you all
know it...PDRM!
Read more at: http://steadyaku-steadyaku-husseinhamid.blogspot.com/2011/08/babi-nak-rasuah.html

Don't feel guilty about browsing the Internet at work—turns out it may actually improve your performance.

According to a new study, Web browsing can actually refresh tired
workers and enhance their productivity, compared to other activities
such as making personal calls, texts or emails, let alone working
straight through with no rest at all.

The study, "Impact of Cyberloafing on Psychological Engagement," by
Don J.Q. Chen and Vivien K.G Lim of the National University of
Singapore, was presented last week in San Antonio, Texas, at the annual
meeting of the Academy of Management, an association of management
scholars.

Pakatan Rakyat today gave the prime minister and the Election Commission
one last chance to prove their commitment to electoral reform before
the coalition decides whether or not to boycott the parliamentary select
committee on the matter.

Speaking to reporters today, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said, "The final decision will be made by October. We
have not made a decision to boycott, but are making it clear that it is
the onus of the government to show good faith, with the Election
Commission taking immediate measures, and the PM categorically showing
that he means business by guaranteeing that elections will only be held
after the EC has taken the necessary measures. We
have a few weeks, after Ramadan, with the goodwill of Aidilfitri... one
or two weeks to consider. By next month, we will decide once and for
all."

He also wanted to ask Dr Mahathir not charge the current Pakatan Rakyat (PR) defacto leader for sodomy.

The Perak Mufti said he was concerned back then that Anwar’s sacking
would bring about split Malays, and that he had repeatedly cautioned the
former prime minister to think about an alternative solution.

Though playing video games is often called a child's activity, a new
study from the Entertainment Software Association has found that that
perception couldn't be further from the truth.
According to the organization, which represents the game industry,
the average gamer today is 37 years old. Moreover, the average game
buyer is 41 years old. Because of that, a greater number of parents are
playing games with their children. The ESA said that 45 percent of
parents play games with their kids "at least weekly.

Former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo claims that three
federal ministers have conspired to have him jailed for graft.

In
a blog post today on forgiveness in the spirit of Ramadan, Khir said he
would not name them because he does not have proof of their
involvement, but said his source was highly reliable.

He said that in
this blessed month, he would like to remind the three friends who were ministers in the federal cabinet to not go overboard in their attempts
to get him and
alluded that word about the conspiracy spread after one of the three
told two other ministers that this was part of BN's plan to recapture
Selangor.

In the blog post, Khir wrote, “A minister was
said to have told two other ministers that to get back Selangor, Khir
must be charged. Now, the same minister has said that to win in
Selangor, Khir must be jailed. Are
they powerful enough to control a judge? I don't believe they can
direct a judge nor will a judge listen to this group.”

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's defence enters its third day today
with the prosecution cross-examining forensic pathologist Dr David
Wells.

The Australian expert, who is the third defence witness, has yesterday told the court
that the alleged semen sample retrieved from sodomy complainant Mohd
Saiful Bukhari Azlan could not have revealed the desired results.

This was because the sample was taken more than two days after the alleged incident.

The
alleged sodomy incident happened in the afternoon of June 26, 2008,
and the sample was retrieved from Saiful between 9pm and midnight on
June 28, 2008.

In addition, he said that the sample was not
properly stored in the police station and it was given to chemist for
testing two days later.

Dr Wells, who is an expert in the field
of sexual assault cases, also testified yesterday that when retrieving
samples from alleged victims, he would be working alone and only
assisted by nurses. This, he said, was to prevent contamination.

In
the case of Saiful, four doctors attended to complainant in retrieving
samples in the present of investigating officer Supt Jude Blacious
Pereira.

It expected that the prosecution will question Wells on
Saiful's Hospital Kuala Lumpur medical report, which the doctor had
described as inaccurate.

After Wells, another Australian expert hired by Anwar, DNA specialist Dr Brian McDonald, is expected to take the witness stand.

LIVE REPORTS

8.46am:
It is learnt that former Malacca police chief Mohd Rodwan Mohd Yusof,
who has been subpoenaed to testify, is also in the witness room.

He
was the aide de camp for then deputy prime minister Najib Abdul Razak,
who met Saiful in a hotel a day after the complainant met Najib.

8.50am: The prosecution team led by solicitor-general II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden are in court.

The Petaling Street end which opens up to Jalan Tun Cheng Lock. — Picture by Jack Ooi

KUALA
LUMPUR, Aug 23 — Khong Kim Lyew’s father used to make suits for British
High Commissioners Sir Edward Gent, Sir Henry Gurney and Sir Gerald
Templer during the British Military Administration, when Malaya was
already deep in the throes of an independence struggle.

The intrepid Taishanese, who honed his bespoke tailoring skills at
Robinsons on Jawa Street (now Jalan Tun Perak) after picking up the
trade from his own father, had originally wanted to join the civil
service but was unable to secure a place after Malaya was hit by the
Great Depression of the 1920s.

“Everybody who was somebody came to the shop to have their clothes made,” he said.

“The suit [Abdul Razak] was wearing when he shook hands with Chairman
Mao, which was used in the election manifesto for the 1974 election,
was also made by me.”

Khong still provides custom-made suits to Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam
Shah of Kedah, including the one the latter wore when he called on
Queen Elizabeth II of Britain in 1974 as the fifth Yang di-Pertuan Agong
of Malaysia, all well as ceremonial gowns for judges, among others.

He remains committed to his craft and says he will carry on the trade
for as long as he is physically able, even though he admits he will
likely be the last in his line.

But Kwong Fook Hing Tailor on Jalan Sultan, where three generations
of his family have plied their trade since 1915, will soon be torn down
along 15 other shophouses to make way for the Klang Valley Mass Rapid
Transit (KVMRT), Malaysia’s most ambitious construction project to date.

Outgoing project owner Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (SPNB) has said
it needs to acquire the land above the KVMRT tunnel that will run along
Jalan Sultan and demolish existing buildings in the interest of public
safety.

Richard
Han says SPNB should not profit by building commercial developments on
land acquired for public use. — Picture by Jack Ooi

“The
buildings in Jalan Sultan are very old so it is not safe for the
public,” SPNB project development director Zulkifli Mohd Yusof said
yesterday.

“Moreover, the area consists of limestone and (tunnel) construction in an area like that can cause sinkholes.”

Khong, however, remains unconvinced of the argument.

While stressing that he did not object to development, the
63-year-old said he did not see why SPNB had to demolish the buildings
above the tunnel that will link the Pasar Seni and Merdeka stations when
similar subsurface work carried out in Hong Kong and Singapore had left
street-level buildings intact.

“They’re worse than piranhas. Piranhas only eat the flesh, they leave
the bones behind. These guys seem to want to take everything,” the
Victoria Institution alumnus said.
(Click here to read more)

By YUEN MEIKENG

He said the shops would remain as they are an important part of KL Chinatown's identity.

"During
the six months of constructing the MRT tunnel underneath the area, the
occupants will have to evacuate their property but will be told to
return after that.

"Buildings affected by the construction will
be strengthened," he told reporters after attending a dialogue between
the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), representatives of the
Jalan Sultan traders and others at the SPAD headquarters here Tuesday.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng last night cautioned that Pakatan
Rakyat has to remain humble and continue to deliver as even he is not
absolutely certain of retaining the state.

He said, “There
is no certainty in politics. I'm not 100 percent sure that we will win
Penang again. I would like to think so, but I think we should err on the
side of caution. Even
though many people have said it is likely we will win in Penang, we have
to put in a lot of work, put our heads down and not get carried away,
make sure we deliver what the people expect.”

Lim
was speaking at a Selangor DAP fundraising dinner in Petaling Jaya last
night, which was attended by top DAP leaders from the state and over a
thousand other supporters.

Also present were PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu (left in photo), popularly known as Mat Sabu, and Selangor state exco members Teresa Kok and Ronnie Liu.

In
making his case for donations, Lim stressed that even though Pakatan were
in the government (in Selangor and Penang), such fundraising
dinners were necessary as Pakatan did not use state funds for party
purposes.

“We have to ask help from you
(for money) because we don't steal from the government. If you go to MCA dinners, they don't ask money from you, they pay you to come instead,” he quipped.

In his
complaint to human rights commission Suhakam this morning, businessman Hii Tiong Huat complained today that a cop's buttock was
shoved at his face and the cop farted on his face 10 times during his
arrest on July 22 while another
plainclothes policeman also kicked him, 10 times after he told Hii to "go back to China", and said his parents were immigrants
from that country.

The
Sarawakian was initially arrested on July 8 and held till the next day,
for his lone picket with homemade placards at Petaling Street, in the
police crackdown in the run-up to the Bersih rally. Hii was arrested again on July 21 and another arrest and detention
on July 22-23 by police in relation to his alleged participation in the
outlawed Bersih 2.0 rally for clean and fair elections.

Video clips of his arrest have elevated him to the status of folk hero, with members of the public dubbing him 'Uncle Bersih'.

Monday, August 22, 2011

I thought to myself, 'Well, the Government has indeed done a good job in producing the sequel 'Sodomy II'.'

How can this someone hold the view that Anwar is a gay?

Well, I think RajaPetra'sarticletoday really sums it all up!RajaPetraKamarudin:
So, never mind what happens during Anwar’s trial. And never mind whether
they do or do not put Najib on trial. Everyone’s mind is already set.
They already believe what they believe. And whatever you or the court
may say is not going to change this belief.

The recent discovery in Mexico of a one-eyed albino baby shark
has created a stir among scientists and piqued the interest of
thousands who have seen the images and questioned the authenticity of
the find. The three-foot-long fetus was removed from the body of a large
bull shark captured by a commercial fisherman in the Sea of Cortez
beyond La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur.

The story broke late last week on the Pisces Sportfishing blog, under the headline, “Freak Shark Puzzles Scientists.”

Pete Thomas Outdoors
then shared the top right image with two well-known shark experts in
California. Both were skeptical at first, suggesting it was some kind of
hoax.

One of them jokingly identified the species as a “Cycloptomus” because of a perfectly centered eye located just above the mouth.

Embattled Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon has received another blow over
his taking credit for Penang's recent economic successes, this time from
former Penang party stalwart, Lee Kah Choon, who said that Koh may be "sleep talking"
when the latter said that investment decisions takes time to be made,
implying that he was responsible for the state's current economic success.

Lee (left),
who is Invest Penang chairperson and former Gerakan Jelutong MP, said, "It's "ridiculous" to
suggest that investment decision takes years to make in this modern age. By then the technology will be obsolete, the product will not fit into the supply chain for the overall manufacturing process."

In a press
statement today, Lee said, "Taking
years to make a decision) is against the Just In Time (JIT) philosophy
the manufacturing world is practising currently."

Lee added, saying, "All in all, if any deal is to be struck, it will be done within12 months."

Yesterday,
an online news site quoted Koh, the
four term Penang CM prior to 2008, accusing his successor, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan
Eng for "unfairly" claiming credit that should be rightly attributed to
Barisan Nasional, complaining that the "solid
foundation" of various projects initiated by his administration was
handed over to Lim when Pakatan Rakyat took over the state and blaming Lim for “skilfully using” the media to claim credit
for the success handed down from the former Gerakan administration.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

International broadcaster BBC has admitted that it has aired to millions
of people worldwide, programmes made by a public relations company
hired by the Malaysian government.

According to an investigative report by Britain's The Independent newspaper, the BBC said in a statement that "FBC has now admitted to the BBC that it has worked for the Malaysian government" and it
has suspended all programming from the London-based public relations
company, FBC Media Ltd, which since 2009 has made at least four
documentaries dealing with Malaysia. .

According
to the daily, the BBC is conducting an investigation into whether any
of the FBC material it broadcast was in breach of BBC guidelines on
impartiality and BBC was quoted as saying, "That
information was not disclosed to the BBC as we believe it should have
been when the BBC contracted programming from FBC. Given this, the BBC
has decided to transmit no more programming from FBC while it reviews
its relationship with the company."

The broadcast
of programmes produced by FBC may be against the BBC's guidelines on
conflict of interest.

The BBC's guidelines on conflict of interest state: "Independent
producers should not have inappropriate outside interests which could
undermine the integrity and impartiality of the programmes and content
they produce for the BBC."

The "mega-rich" pay about 15 percent in taxes, while the middle class
"fall into the 15 percent and 25 percent income tax brackets, and then
are hit with heavy payroll taxes to boot."

It's not often you see someone stand up and say, "Tax me more!"
Yet that's just what famed investor Warren Buffett has done in an op-ed in the New York Times headlined, "Stop Coddling the Super-Rich."
Buffett says that very wealthy people like himself pay lower tax rates
than the middle class, thanks to special tax categories for investment
income.

LFL lawyer is outraged over MCMC's insinuation that it is above the law.

PETALING
JAYA: The Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)
today questioned a journalist over a picture she had taken during the
Bersih 2.0 rally.
But according to Lawyers For Liberty (LFL) coordinator, Fadiah Nadwa
Fikri, the officials had behaved like thugs in their intimidation and
harassment of both her and her client.
Fadiah had accompanied her client, Yusriah Yusof, a photographer with
opposition mouthpiece Suara Keadilan, to the MCMC headquarters earlier
this afternoon.
Yusriah was being questioned over her picture of Anwar Ibrahim’s
bodyguard, Fayyadh Afiq Albakqry, taken after he was hit in the face
with a tear gas canister while shielding Anwar.
The picture of his bloodied face were among the many circulated
online in the aftermath of the rally as evidence of police brutality.
When the investigating officer (IO) met them at the entrance, Fadiah
introduced herself and said that she was accompanying her client into
the investigation room. The IO denied her entry and an argument ensued.
“He said that lawyers were not allowed to be present during the
questioning,” she told FMT. “I told him that under the Federal
Constitution my client had the right to have her lawyer present and
asked him what his basis was in disallowing that right.”
“I even asked him why she was being questioned and whether there was a
report made against her. The IO said of course there is a report but he
wasn’t going to divulge it to me.”
When Fadiah pointed out that even the police released reports to
lawyers, the IO apparently shot back, “That is the police, we are MCMC.”Shouting match
He, however, eventually reluctantly allowed Fadiah into the
investigation room but then told her that he wanted to take her
statement too.
“I refused and told him that I am merely accompanying my client and
I’m not the party under investigation,” she said. “We continued arguing
until he shouted ‘you’re a Malay, right? you’re a Muslim, right?… stop
asking questions!’”
“I told him not to bring religion into this and to respect the law.
He shouted back that if I wanted to talk about the law then I should go
to the court because this was his office and he didn’t want to talk
about it.”
Before a stunned Fadiah could respond, two more officers entered the
room and shouted to her to leave. While she argued with them, the IO
began taking Yusriah’s statement, disregarding the photographer’s
obvious distress.
“I turned my back on the two and focus on my client,” Fadiah said.
“These men were in the baju Melayu complete with the sampin and they
were behaving like thugs. They were talking like the law didn’t apply to
them.”
“I am shocked by MCMC’s arrogance and ignorance. Even when they
called my client in for questioning they never sent her an official
notice. Just a casual phone call.”
The two officers threatened to lodge a police report against her, but
when she she asked for their names in return, they replied that she had
no right to know as she was in their office.
Fadiah added that the line of questioning was to determine the
authenticity of the picture and if copies had been distributed to other
publications.
“It was obvious that they want to send out a warning that the public
and journalists who take and distribute such pictures will be hauled in
for quesitioning,” she said.
“It is pure harassment of journalists, particularly my client because
they couldn’t even tell her the basis of the investigation or what law
she had breached.”
Yusriah is the first journalist to be questioned over this picture.
The Suara Keadilan editor is expected to be called in next as are the
other media that have published the image.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today
that the next general election can be held anytime and is not bound by
the works of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms.

Najib said the government, however, would strive to implement any
recommendation made by the committee before the coming election.

"We will try; there must be something that can be done immediately,"
he told a news conference after chairing the Umno Supreme Council
meeting at Menara Dato' Onn here today.

"What we can do immediately, we will do immediately," he added.

Najib, who is Umno president, said the committee, comprising
representatives of political parties, would discuss and decide the types
of improvements to be made to the electoral process.

Asked on the move by the opposition to wait for terms of reference
before deciding on their participation in the committee, Najib said the
committee was the government's sincere offer so that decisions can be
made based on consensus.

"This is a sincere offer on our part because we need to have
discussions across the aisle so that there will be a consensus," he
said.

On the call by the opposition parties that the committee be headed by
their representative, Najib said, it was impossible to accede to it
because the committee must be headed by a leader from the majority
party.

He also said that the request by the opposition for an equal
representation in the committee could not be considered because the
composition would depend on the strength of a party.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri
Aziz announced on Wednesday that the cabinet had agreed to the setting
up of the committee which would be responsible for strengthening the
laws and regulations governing elections in the country.

It will comprise five Barisan Nasional members, three opposition members and an independent member.

Najib said the Umno Supreme Council had also agreed to the
government's decision to set up the committee but said that this did not
mean that it was an admission that there was a major weakness in the
legitimacy of the country's elections.

He said the supreme council stressed that parliamentary democracy was a key principle in Umno's struggle all this while.

"The legitimacy of the electoral process should not be questioned
because we have proven that there were no manipulation done either in
terms of the ballots or the electoral roll," he said.

On claims made by the opposition that people with permanent resident
status being listed as electors within a short period, Najib said the
Election Commission should provide explanation on the matter in view of
attempts by the opposition to highlight it. – Bernama

PAS rallies urban Malays against BN under Barang Naik campaign

Mahfuz
(left) handing out Protes BN flyers to a passing motorist at the
Ramadan bazaar in Kampung Baru as the still recuperating Mohamad hobbles
along with his walking stick. — Pictures by Jack Ooi

KUALA
LUMPUR, Aug 20 — In branding an anti-price hike campaign Protes BN, PAS
aims to win over urban Malay voters feeling the pinch of inflation and
bleed the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government of Bumiputera support
in the coming polls.

PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu launched the campaign today in
Kampung Baru, the urban Malay heartland in the shadow of the iconic
Petronas Twin Towers, by distributing several flyers depicting the BN’s
lavish lifestyle at the cost of public money.

One of them showed a caricature of a man, supposed to be Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib, tipping over with his little finger a domino
block marked as “petrol” on the side to touch the next block marked
“sugar” and with a number of other blocks in a close arrangement.

Another carried a picture of the prime minister’s wife Datin Seri
Rosmah Mansor’s head next to a cut diamond and the headline “Bini Najib
(BN): Ro$mah yang Membazir”.

Both flyers were printed with the Protes BN [this time standing for
Barang Naik] logo and the slogan: “Change Now, Save Malaysia”.

A Protes BN flyer depicting a caricature of the prime minister as saying ‘A little raise and a huge outcry’.

Mohamad,
popularly called Mat Sabu, explained that the campaign was to create
awareness among the urban Malay Bumiputera community of the tie between
government policies and the impact on their daily lives.

“The Malays, they are not sensitive to what goes on daily, for
example, bribery, misappropriation [of money]... they grumble but not to
the extent of protesting,” he said in a speech.

He compared the Malays to the ethnic Chinese whom he said “knew the
value of money, the value of price”, as he related how Pakatan Rakyat
(PR) ally DAP allegedly beat former MCA president Tan Koon Swan at the
height of the latter’s might in a 1986 contest.

But according to records, Tan had won the Gopeng parliamentary seat
with a majority of 6,135 votes in the August 4 general election of that
year.

He quit his post after being sentenced to jail for abetting in a
criminal breach of trust involving Pan-Electric Industries, a
Singapore-based conglomerate with a market capitalisation worth S$230
million, that collapsed in 1985 and forced both the Singapore and
Malaysian stock exchanges to shut down for three days.

Mohamad said the awareness campaign was necessary because Malays are
not “sensitive” and do not feel the loss of their consumer rights or
their money as acutely as the ethnic Chinese.

Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar, who helms the Islamist party’s
consumer affairs bureau, was also present and said the campaign was also
taking place on Facebook.

Mahfuz said the party aims to enlist 5,000 members through Facebook in the next 10 days before the Aidilfitri celebration.

There were 154 likes on the Protes BN page at the time this article was written.

Just yesterday, Najib said that a system based fully on meritocracy would lead to inequality.

He also said focusing entirely on meritocracy would not be fair to
those living in rural and suburban areas, claiming they would not be
able to compete on a level playing field with their urban counterparts.

Today, the sentiment was echoed by his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin
Yassin who reassured unhappy Malays that safeguarding Bumiputera
interests was still Putrajaya’s main agenda.

Najib’s and Muhyiddin’s remarks come ahead of a general election that is expected to be held within a year.

Critics have accused Najib of diluting his New Economic Model (NEM)
by creating agencies like the Bumiputera Agenda Driving Unit (Teraju)
and failing to focus on needs and merit-based affirmative action
policies.

But government officials said the move was necessary as Bumiputera
equity in the economy remained low, despite the billions doled out since
the New Economic Policy (NEP) began in 1971.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Armed Forces chief General Zulkifeli Mohd Zin today described those
claiming that its rank-and-file had been involved in electoral fraud as
an act of betrayal. Yesterday, four ex-military personnel confessed to committing poll fraud at a press conference organised by opposition party PAS.

In an
emotional statement issued this afternoon, Zulkifeli slammed those
making the allegations and questioned their “loyalty” to the Armed
Forces of Malaysia (ATM) and said, “The
actions can be interpreted as treachery and it should stop immediately.
The ATM is the nation's wall of defence that should be supported by all
levels of the people, regardless of ethnicity, religion and political
position...It is hoped that
the ATM is not made a scapegoat by those seeking to advance their own
interests... the people should show their support and appreciation for
the contributions of the ATM. In this context: 'How can we be loyal to you if you are disloyal to us'?"

The proposed parliamentary select committee on electoral reform must
include the controversial 'Project IC', supposedly sanctioned
by the federal government in the run-up to the 1994 Sabah state
election, as one of its terms of reference
if the government is sincere about cleaning up the country's electoral
system.

The
twin issues of 'Project IC' converting illegal immigrants into registered
voters. illegal immigrants and phantom voters have long been a
sore point among Sabahans, with opposition supporters blaming former
Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed for allegedly being the mastermind of
'Project IC'.

United Borneo Front (UBF) founder Jeffrey Kitingan (right) said today, this long-standing issue has to be included in the review of Malaysia's electoral system in the interest of Sabahans.

When asked if the
larger issue of Sabah's burgeoning illegal immigrant population and the
commensurate increase in the state's citizens should be included as
well, the
enigmatic politician-turned-activist said "yes"

In response to questions from Malaysiakini, Jeffrey, a fomer vice-president of PKR, said that civil society groups, such as the UBF that he launched last
December, should be given a greater role to play in helping the
committee fulfil its responsibilities.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Four days after Penang DAP headquarters was splashed with red paint, a
stack of newspapers, which was placed outside the building, was set on
fire about 3am today.

Komtar
assemblyperson Ng Wei Aik, who had been alerted to the fire, said in a
Twitter message: “Someone tried 2 torch down DAP Penang HQ around 3am.
All the newspapers put outside the HQ have been burnt down. 2nd attack
after 4 days.”

According to Ng, the residents had contacted the fire fighters, who came to the scene about 15 minutes later.

Ng said, "A
bottle was found, but we cannot determine whether the suspected
arsonist had used kerosene to start the fire. The firemen took the
bottle away for tests. A neighbour who lives opposite the building saw a person on a motorcycle leaving the area after the fire was lit."

Meanwhile, state DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow said he was shocked and
disgusted with the latest attack on DAP and the state government.

Chow described the early morning incident as not an accident but "an
intentional coordinated act" by persons with political motives and took the police to task for failing to make a strong stand on such acts against the party.

He said at a press
conference in Penang today, "I
demand the police immediately investigate and take action on those
responsible for this despicable and hateful act. The longer the police delay action, the more it will look like hate crimes against the DAP are permitted."

Chow (right),
who is a state executive member, welcomed anyone dissatisfied with the
party or state to voice out their issues through legitimate and civil
channels.

He also said that the party and state were open to criticism and ready to engage citizens with genuine concerns and blamed the mainstream media controlled by the federal government and
its ruling political parties, for ignoring their side of the story.

Chow said that they were being portrayed as racists and bullies, but they had never ever resorted to violence.

This
was the response of Minister in Prime Minister's Department Mohd
Nazri Abdul Aziz when asked to comment on the NGO coalition's demands
for two reports from the proposed parliamentary select committee on
electoral reform.

Nazri (left)
hit out at Bersih 2.0, saying it has no reason to issue ultimatums,
including setting deadlines, to the government in determining the select
committee's work and told journalists at the Parliament lobby today, saying, “... As I
said earlier, we will hold public hearings. During the hearings, they
like anybody else, members of the public, they can come and give their
views. We
don't just consult them, we consult other members of the public who
have something to contribute. Because they are nothing special, there is
no reason they should set an ultimatum because it is not for them to
tell us what to do,”

Yesterday, members of the Bersih 2.0 steering committee had said the select panel's first report
on immediate reforms should be issued within three months, followed by
another within a year and also outlined the areas for reform.

Postal vote manipulation has been a common practice
in the military for many years - so it seems - now that more retired
military personnel are speaking up.

Now, four ex-military personnel, namely Major (Rtd) Risman Mastor (below right),
Kamarulzaman Ibrahim, Mohamed Nasir Ahmad and Mohd Kamil Omar, have confessed to committing election
fraud - the same way an ex-army man said he did so earlier this month.

The
four, who had served at army and air force bases across the country,
said that they were ordered by their commanding officers to mark thousands of postal votes for
the hundreds and thousands of personnel who were out in the field in three separate general
elections between 1978 and 1999.

The expose by the four today is the second after an ex-army man came forward earlier this month, making a similar claim that he was ordered to mark postal votes for other personnel.

Kamarulzaman,
who was a clerk working at the Terendak army camp in Malacca, said he
was ordered to spend three days marking thousands of ballot papers and given three pens of different colours, which he used alternately to
sign the postal votes in the absence of the army personnel who were on
their tour of duty
during the 1986 general election.

The MCA president met with six of the 31 traders and shop owners who
were served the acquisition orders less than a month ago, here at his
party’s headquarters.

He also asked the traders to come up with a memorandum with their concerns to hand over the SPAD.

Dr Chua said the first option is to push for a realignment of the tunnel track.

The second to ensure the traders and shop owners get first priority
to back in after the MRT project related development in the area is
completed. Factored too is the time needed for them to move out.

“I understand for such businesses to move in such a short notice, it could affect their income,” he said.

Dr Chua also suggested the traders to choose three representatives to meet with SPAD.

Choy Foong Meng, 55, a tenant on Jalan Sultan,said she was only
served the acquisition order on August 11, the day Syarikat Prasarana
Negara Berhad (SPNB) briefed traders, and only when she enquired.

The hearing date with the land office commissioner was yesterday and
she was given two weeks to come up with the land valuation report and
list down losses that will incur if she had to move her business.

“I hope to get at least two months extension. The land office said it
is within their power to do so and they said okay but they told me it
was Prasarana who said no,” she said.

SPNB, the owner of the KVMRT project had said it expects to complete
the Jalan Sultan land acquisition exercise in four to six months despite
strong opposition from the Chinatown community, who say it is a
heritage area.

The Malaysian Insider had previously reported that the
traders and shop owners were unhappy with the late notice and the rush
for the land acquisition.

Chua admitted that Chinatown is a tourist attraction and it is unique
because it reflects the Chinese culture but he had also defended the
mega project.

“If we do not overcome this problem (traffic jam), in five years time, the whole of KL will be worse off than Bangkok,” he said.

Dr Chua added that during an economic council meeting yesterday
chaired by the prime minister, he said the SPAD chief executive officer
agreed to look into whether they can build the track without acquiring
the land there.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's announcement of a parliamentary
select committee on electoral reforms is a “positive move”, but the
eight demands raised by Bersih 2.0 must be taken into account, the
movement's chief Ambiga Sreenevesan said.

She said that while
the government's pledge to pursue free and fair elections is a
“welcome” development, Najib must expand the scope of the committee to
include civil society representatives.

In a text message from the UK, where she is on holiday, Ambiga said, “I
believe that looking at the eight immediate demands of Bersih is (a)
priority. We hope to see the involvement of civil society in this
process. We are ready to help. There
is much to be done before the 13th GE (general election).”

DAP
Socialist Youth chief Anthony Loke agreed with Ambiga on the need for
civil society involvement in the committee, stressing that public
opinion is a necessary part of the its ability to carry out its
responsibilities and said the eight demands laid out by Bersih 2.0 should be used as the terms of reference for the select committee.

In a statement, Loke said, “Najib's
administration must call for a special sitting of the Dewan Rakyat
before Hari Raya Aidilfitri to form this select committee. Without a
special sitting, Parliament will have to wait till Oct 3 to form the
committee.”

Loke said that Najib
should give a three-month timeframe to the select committee to carry
out its responsibilities and a full report must be tabled and debated in
Parliament after the deadline, stressing that Najib must publicly pledge not to dissolve
Parliament until and unless the demands for a clean and fair electoral
process are met and implemented.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak conceded today that the government's censorship of The Economist's article on Bersih last month was ineffective and promised to review its censorship methods.

Najib said only a few lines were censored, but the act of censoring made more news than the actual story and added that such methods were no longer necessary, stating that if the
government was unhappy with any reports, it could resort to legal
proceedings.

he said.

The premier also acknowledged that censorship was no longer effective in a changing information landscape and said, “If
the international media wants to criticise us, let them. If we need to,
we engage them. We give our side of story, and if they have crossed the
line, then we have to resort to legal means. If
we feel we have been wronged by the media, if the media has published a
story that is defamatory, then we take legal action. But
censoring is no longer an effective means and (therefore) the
government will review our policy towards censorship.”

Najib
said the review was necessary so that the government would not be
perceived as ignorant towards the changing information technology
landscape and his comments come almost a month after the Home Ministry censored the July 16 edition of The Economist.

Following the order issued by the Home Ministry, several lines on the edition's article on
Bersih 2.0 rally to be deleted with black ink, leaving readers puzzled
over the black lines on the news magazine.

KOTA BAHARU, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul
Aziz Nik Mat does not think that a loud speaker should be used when
reciting the Quran in a mosque before the call to morning prayers.

Nik Abdul Aziz, who is Kelantan Menteri Besar, said that using a loud
speaker would disturb people who are sleeping or are sick, and Muslims
should be sensitive and considerate.

"We (Muslims) are only allowed to raise our voice for the azan (call to
prayer)," he told reporters after launching Koperasi Rakyat Kelantan
Berhad here today.

He agreed with the Penang Fatwa Committee which prohibits mosques from
using a loud speaker for the reciting of the Quran before the azan for
morning prayers.

In his speech earlier, Nik Abdul urged women in Kelantan to sell their jewellery to invest in the newly launched cooperative.

Permodalan Kelantan Berhad, which owns the cooperative, trades in gold
which now fetches a high price in the world market, he said.

Asked about the failed Koperasi Kohilal, dominated by PAS members, Nik
Abdul Aziz said the situation was different then. That was in 1998, a
time of financial crisis, and shares were falling.